View source for Odilon Polleunis

{{Short description|Belgian footballer (1943–2023)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2020}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Odilon Polleunis
| image = Odilon Polleunis (1968).jpg
| caption = Polleunis in 1968
| full_name = 
| birth_date = {{birth date|1943|05|01|df=yes}}
| birth_place = [[Sint-Truiden]], [[Military Administration in Belgium and Northern France|German-occupied Belgium]]
| death_date = {{death date and age|2023|09|20|1943|05|01|df=yes}}
| death_place = Sint-Truiden
| height = 
| position = [[Striker (association football)|Striker]]
| youthyears1 = 
| youthclubs1 = 
| years1 = 1962–1973
| clubs1 = [[Sint-Truidense V.V.|Sint-Truiden]]
| caps1 = 286
| goals1 = 89
| years2 = 1973–1976
| clubs2 = [[R.W.D. Molenbeek (1909)|R.W.D. Molenbeek]]
| caps2 = 67
| goals2 = 17
| years3 = 1976–1977
| clubs3 = [[K.S.K. Tongeren]]
| caps3 = 12
| goals3 = 0
| totalcaps = 365
| totalgoals = 106
| nationalyears1 = 1968–1975
| nationalteam1 = [[Belgium national football team|Belgium]]
| nationalcaps1 = 22
| nationalgoals1 = 10
| manageryears1 = 1991–1992
| managerclubs1 = [[Sint-Truidense V.V.|Sint-Truiden]]
}}

'''Odilon Polleunis''' (1 May 1943 – 20 September 2023), nicknamed '''Lon''', was a Belgian [[association football|football]]er who won the [[Belgian Golden Shoe]] in 1968 while at [[K. Sint-Truidense V.V.|Sint-Truiden]]. He played 22 matches and scored 10 goals for the [[Belgium national football team|Belgium national team]] between 1968 and 1975.

== Club career ==
Lon Polleunis played most of his career for Sint-Truiden. The stylish attacker, also originating from [[Sint-Truiden]], became a real club icon. With 89 goals, he is still the club's top scorer in the first division.

In the mid-1970s, "Lon" moved to [[R.W.D. Molenbeek (1909)|RWDM]], with which he won the Belgian title in 1975.

== International career ==
[[File:Odilon_Polleunis_México_70.jpg|thumb|Polleunis for Belgium ([[1970 FIFA World Cup|México 1970]])]]
Polleunis started in a 2–1 friendly win against the [[Netherlands national football team|Netherlands]] on 7 April 1968. He scored on his debut and the first of his seven goals in his first five International games, including a hat-trick against [[Finland national football team|Finland]] and two against [[Yugoslavia national football team|Yugoslavia]] in World Cup qualifiers in October 1968.

At the [[1970 FIFA World Cup]] Polleunis came on as substitute in Belgium's win against [[El Salvador national football team|El Salvador]] and started against [[Mexico national football team|Mexico]] in the third game replacing [[Raoul Lambert]].

== Death ==
Polleunis died of heart failure on 20 September 2023, at the age of 80.<ref>{{cite web |date=21 September 2023 |title=Lon Polleunis, de Gouden Schoen van 1968 van STVV, is overleden op 80-jarige leeftijd |trans-title=Lon Polleunis, STVV's Golden Shoe of 1968, has died at the age of 80 |url=https://sporza.be/nl/2023/09/21/lon-polleunis-de-gouden-schoen-van-1968-van-stvv-is-overleden~1695275771654/ |url-status= |access-date= |work=[[Sporza]] |language=nl}}</ref>

== Honours ==
'''Sint-Truiden'''
* [[Belgian First Division]] runner-up: [[1965–66 Belgian First Division|1965–66]]<ref>{{Cite web |date=21 September 2023 |title=Ex-Gouden Schoen Lon Polleunis (80) overleden |url=https://www.hln.be/voetbal/ex-gouden-schoen-lon-polleunis-80-overleden~a43adefb/ |website=[[Het Laatste Nieuws]] |language=nl}}</ref>
* [[Belgian Cup|Belgian cup]] runner-up: 1970-71

'''RWD Molenbeek'''
* Belgian First Division: [[1974–75 Belgian First Division|1974–75]]
* [[Jules Pappaert Cup]]: 1975
* [[Amsterdam Tournament]]: 1975

'''Belgium'''
* [[UEFA European Championship]] third place: [[UEFA Euro 1972|1972]]

'''Individual'''
* [[Belgian Golden Shoe]]: 1968
* [[:nl:Man van het Seizoen|Man of the Season (Belgian First Division)]]: 1971–72<ref>{{cite web|title=Homme de la saison belge|url=https://www.football-the-story.com/homme-de-la-saison-belge}}</ref>
* Honorary Citizen of Sint-Truiden: 2021<ref>{{Cite web |date=26 October 2021 |title=Nina Derwael en Lon Polleunis zijn officieel ereburgers van Sint-Truiden |url=https://www.hln.be/sint-truiden/nina-derwael-en-lon-polleunis-zijn-officieel-ereburgers-van-sint-truiden~ad09c93a/ |website=[[Het Laatste Nieuws]] |language=nl}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{WorldFootball.net|odilon-polleunis}}

{{Belgium Squad 1970 World Cup}}
{{Belgium Squad Euro 1972}}
{{Belgian Golden Shoe}}
{{K. Sint-Truidense V.V. managers}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Polleunis, Odilon}}
[[Category:1943 births]]
[[Category:2023 deaths]]
[[Category:Footballers from Sint-Truiden]]
[[Category:Belgian men's footballers]]
[[Category:Men's association football forwards]]
[[Category:Belgium men's international footballers]]
[[Category:1970 FIFA World Cup players]]
[[Category:UEFA Euro 1972 players]]
[[Category:R.W.D.M. Brussels F.C. players]]
[[Category:Belgian Pro League players]]
[[Category:Sint-Truidense V.V. players]]
[[Category:R.W.D. Molenbeek (1909) players]]
[[Category:K.S.K. Tongeren players]]
[[Category:Sint-Truidense V.V. managers]]
[[Category:Deaths from congestive heart failure]]
[[Category:20th-century Belgian sportsmen]]


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